This invention is directed to the field of wall paper pasting apparatus, more particularly to a table mounted pasting system having an adjustable, transverse squeegee member to control distribution of the paste on the wall paper.
The present invention relates to apparatus for evenly applying wall paper paste to the back of wall paper. Hanging of wall paper is becoming a popular do-it-yourself product for many homeowners, and is often undertaken by a homeowner having limited experience in such a project. It represents a convenient way of decorating a room to reflect the chosen fashion of the homeowner. To decorate the wall, wall paper is placed and applied to the wall by applying and/or spreading paste on the back side of the wall paper, followed by placing the back side of the paper to the wall. Thereafter, the wall paper is smoothed against the wall by a variety of tools. Various devices have been developed to assist the wall paper hanger in performing the task of applying paste to the wall paper, where a number of the devices are described in the following U.S. Patents:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,363, to Poole et al., teaches a wall paper pasting machine having a lid and a trough. The lid can completely cover the trough to keep the paste from further drying out. An applying roller for applying paste to wallpaper is placed within the inner compartment of the trough. A scraper bar is mounted at the rear portion of the trough, and the scraper bar scrapes excess paste from wallpaper. A snap lock located on the lid is used to secure the lid to the trough. Paper tension ribs are located in the interior portion of the lid for providing tension on the wall paper and for guiding and pressing the wall paper to the applying roller to apply paste onto the wall paper as the wall paper is pulled through the machine. A return roller can be adjusted in position and held to one of three sets of holes that are on the lid. The position adjustment of the return roller allows the thickness of paste that is applied to the wall paper to be varied. The pasting machine can be mounted, attached, or fixed to a surface. Paste is applied to the wall paper being generally placed over the applying roller, pulled through pasting machine, and pulled around and over return roller.
b.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,387, to Huerta, discloses a paste applying apparatus including a trough having an upstream end, a downstream end and opposing sidewalls, an applicator roller carried by the trough, and an adjustable scraper bar carried by the trough upstream of and adjacent to the applicator roller. The apparatus includes an adjustment assembly for adjusting the scraper bar for allowing a user to adjust the amount of paste removed from the surface of the wallpaper, a lid removably and hingedly coupled to the trough for movement between an open position and a closed position, and an outfeed roller carried proximate the trough upstream of the scraper bar.
c.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,886, to Poole et al., relates to a paste dispenser having a paste reservoir and an applicator for containing and applying paste to wall paper. A package having a container and a base, transformable between a package configuration wherein the paste dispenser is received within the container and the container is closed by the base, and an applicator configuration wherein the base extends from the container and carries the paste dispenser. Arresting means is provided in contact with the wall paper for limiting the flow of paste from the paste dispenser.
d.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,323, to Cotton et al., teaches a wall paper dispenser for automatically hydrating a film of glue pre-applied to one side of a roll of wall paper. The dispenser includes a reservoir having a roll of wall paper rotatably supported thereover and a roller for guiding the wall paper within a quantity of water contained within the reservoir. A ramp is provided for cutting the wallpaper and includes a cutting ridge along which a cutting member is drawn to cut the wall paper perpendicular to the length thereof. A tape measure and means for securing the tape measure adjacent the ridge are provided to indicate the point, forwardly of the ridge, adjacent which the forward margin of the wallpaper should be positioned. A slidable member is provided to automatically align the pattern on one strip of the wall paper with the same pattern on a previously cut strip when the strips are positioned in laterally adjacent relation and with the top margins thereof in alignment.
e.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,575, to Poole et al., discloses apparatus for applying paste, which apparatus includes a trough having an upstream end and a downstream end removably carrying an applicator roller rotated by driving means and a scraper bar. The scraper bar is upstream of and adjacent the applicator roller with a pressure area downstream of the applicator roller. A lid hingedly coupled to the trough, carrying an outfeed roller downstream of the scraper bar, is provided for guiding wall paper over the applicator roller and the scraper bar.
f.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,737, to Takada et al., relates to a wall paper pasting apparatus characterized in that the wall paper pasting apparatus is provided with a pasting roller and a pressing guide for pressing the wall paper against the upper surface thereof, by a plurality of leveling plate means having edge wavy grooves for adjusting the thickness of the paste layer transferred onto the wallpaper.
g.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,695, to Newman, teaches a wall paper paste applicator comprising a container having an inclined trap bottom portion along which a strip of wallpaper travels with its decorative surface facing downward. The paper is pulled through a slot in the forward portion of the apparatus formed by a vertically adjustable wall and the bottom of the tray. A quantity of paste is maintained on top of the wallpaper in the tray, and is distributed to the back of the paper by a flexible notched wiping bar.
While the above enumerated prior art offer a variety of aids in helping a wall paper hanger in the application of paste to the back side of wall paper, none provide the simplicity of controlling the quantity of applied paste. The manner by which the present invention provides the improved control on the application of paste will become more apparent in the description which follows.
The present invention is directed to a portable and table mounted apparatus for applying and controlling distribution of paste to the back side of wall paper. The apparatus comprises a housing having a slanted floor, a pair of opposing side walls, and a removably adjustable third wall. With the floor slanting toward the third wall, in cooperation with the opposing side walls, a paste receiving trough is provided through which the paper from a continuous roll passes. The third wall comprises an inverted U-shaped channel member, such as two L-shaped members joined at the respective short legs, and a top wall. Within the channel a slidable and adjustable squeegee bar extends between the joined L-shaped members. Through manual means in the top wall the squeegee bar may be adjusted to control the quantity of paste applied to the wall paper. In a preferred embodiment, the third wall is received in facing slots in the opposing side walls, and may be temporarily secured therein by threaded members. Further, a length counter and feeding reel may be provided to complement the apparatus.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for applying and controlling the quantity of paste spread on the back side of wall paper.
A further object hereof is the provision of manual means to activate a squeegee bar to assist in controlling the spreading of paste.
Another object of the invention lies in the use of a non-metallic squeegee bar for bearing against the wall paper.